


Dance Me to the End of Love

by vix_spes



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, Ballet, Friendship, Gen, Getting Together, M/M, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2018-09-14 12:56:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9182728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vix_spes/pseuds/vix_spes
Summary: Spencer Reid has danced his whole life although recently he doesn't seem to love it quite so much. A new opportunity could change all of that...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Deutsch available: [Dance Me to the End of Love](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9267473) by [BigLeoSis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BigLeoSis/pseuds/BigLeoSis)



Spencer Reid smiled at the sense of familiarity that washed over him as he walked into the building that housed BAU. This building had been his home for the last ten years, ever since he had finished his training, and there were even times of the year when he felt as though he spent more time at the studios than he did in his apartment. Even so, despite the feeling of familiarity, there was a strong sense of unease accompanying the start of the new season.

Jason Gideon, their long-standing artistic director, had retired at the end of the previous season to spend more time with his family and while none of the dancers could argue with his decision, it was going to be strange without him. Spencer, in particular, was going to find it strange having a new AD; Gideon had been his mentor ever since Spencer had joined the company and Spencer was already lamenting the loss. After all, their new AD – Erin Strauss – was something of an unknown quantity.

Walking into the biggest of BAU’s studios, Spencer nodded at a few of the dancers already there as he made his way to his usual spot at the barre to start warming his body up. To make matters worse, Spencer was starting the season without a ballerina to partner regularly. He had been partnering Elle Greenaway to rave reviews but, while Elle had been guesting in Hawaii last Christmas dancing The Firebird, she had fallen and injured herself. She had been recovering but towards the end of last season they had had the news that she had been injured badly enough that, despite the progress she had made, it was looking unlikely that she would dance again. In Elle’s absence, Spencer had been temporarily partnered with Ashley Seaver, one of the younger artists in the company, but they had never quite gelled and Ashley had just accepted a position with Miami City Ballet, leaving Spencer without a partner once more.

“Spence!”

Spencer paused in his stretching to accept the kisses to his cheek from JJ and a half-hug from Hotch, two of the BAU’s most seasoned principals. JJ had been Princess Aurora to Spencer’s Prince Florimund in Sleeping Beauty when Spencer had debuted in the role with BAU aged just eighteen. Hotch had taken on a mentor role with Spencer much like Gideon as well as being a good friend, just like JJ. The two had been married for the last four years and were favourites amongst the many fans of BAU.

“Alright people, to the barre.” Alex Blake, the senior ballet-mistress, clapped her hands as she entered the room, Sam Cooper – one of the repetiteurs – hot on her heels. “We may have a new AD but business as usual. We’ll start with plies.”

Spencer listened with half an ear as Alex explained what she wanted them to do, even as he continued to warm up his body. Regardless of the changes that may lay ahead for BAU, at least he had the familiarity of daily class.

As Alex moved them from plies into tendus, ronde de jamb and battement fondu, Spencer found himself letting go of all his worry and stress as he sank into the almost meditative state that came with the exercises that were now as familiar to him as breathing. The order was always the same. Beginner, advanced student, member of the corps, soloist, principal; the exercises never changed. It almost didn’t matter what else was going on because daily class was always the same; a familiar routine that you could rely on. Erin Strauss may be here to shake things up at the BAU but at least Spencer knew that the sanctity of daily class would remain, whatever she did.

~*~

By the time that they got to the end of October, Reid was no longer completely satisfied. Even though he’d been with the BAU since he had made his professional debut, he was restless. Erin Strauss seemed determined to play everything safe and was shying away from all of the more interesting productions that Gideon had started staging over the last few years. No, Strauss was only interested in staging classic productions which meant endless rounds of tutu ballets such as The Nutcracker and Swan Lake with the odd bit of Balanchine thrown in to break things up.

Spencer was just starting to chafe at the monotony of it all. He supposed it was the downside of debuting in a major role at such a young age. He had been starting to get a little restless towards the end of Gideon’s tenure and Gideon had known it so he had made sure to give Spencer more prominent parts in the newer, more experimental works and had released Spencer to guest with other companies around the world. Unfortunately for Spencer, Strauss wasn’t as considerate and, with no official partner, Spencer found himself side-lined for much of the autumn season. As a result, when he received a phone call from Emily Prentiss asking him to guest with her in Moscow, Spencer didn’t even hesitate before accepting.

Spencer had known Emily Prentiss for four years, ever since he had been booked to start opposite her in Don Quixote in Berlin as the Don to Emily’s Kitri. Several years older than him, Emily was a widely respected and much loved ballerina and Spencer adored dancing with her. Unfortunately for him, despite being American by birth, Emily did very little dancing in the States anymore other than the odd guest appearance in New York. Almost all of her dancing was done in Europe, mostly as a principal with her husband’s company Balletto di Rossi but with some guest appearances.

A good twenty years older than his wife, David Rossi came from a family with almost legendary status in the ballet world; his parents, grandparents and great-grandparents had all been dancers with companies across Europe before his grandfather had founded his own company. A world-class soloist himself, David Rossi had been a known lothario, notorious for breaking the hearts of ballerinas – corps and principals alike – all over the world until he had been partnered with an up and coming Emily at a gala in London. This time, it had been David who had fallen head over heels and he had chased her for the better part of a year before she was convinced that he had renounced his womanising ways and was truly interested in her. They had been together ever since and their wedding had been a gathering of the world’s ballet elite. While he had only met him a few times, Spencer liked David Rossi and couldn’t help but be a little envious of Emily and Dave’s relationship.

There was a big preconception that every single male ballet dancer was gay – although that was decreasing – and that simply wasn’t the case. Spencer might conform to the stereotype somewhat but he was one of only a handful of gay and bisexual dancers in the company. For most of them, they spent so much time in rehearsals, class or onstage performing that relationships were a rarity unless they kept things in house. If they did keep things in house then they ran the risk of tension and awkwardness if they broke up. Some couples – like JJ and Hotch or Dave and Emily – made it work but Spencer had never been one of them.

He’d been more successful when he was younger; from the age of 16 to 25 he’d been in relationships almost continually. Having won a scholarship to the Royal Ballet Upper School aged 16 at the Youth America Grand Prix, he had dated Lila Archer, a fellow American scholarship student, for two years however, upon their graduation she had accepted a position with the Dutch National Ballet while Spencer had returned to the States. He had then been in a two year long-distance relationship with a ballet journalist by the name of Maeve. However, between Maeve’s reticence to meet in real life and Spencer’s lack of time to travel or even Skype, it had never really got off the ground properly and they had split. After Maeve had been a brief flirtation with Austin, a soloist at another company he’d been guesting with but nothing had come of it.

And then there had been Ethan. A repetiteur at BAU, Ethan and Spencer had been together for four years and had been blissfully happy. Or so Spencer had thought. While Spencer had thought that he had found someone who loved the theatre as much as him, who understood the long, unsociable hours, nothing could have been further from the truth. While he loved playing the piano, Ethan was chafing at having to play the same music all the time and while his duties at the theatre were often finished by early evening, Spencer still had to perform and would often be out until the small hours of the morning, at which point he’d just collapse into bed before starting it all over again. So, while Spencer was on stage, Ethan would be out in the bars and clubs drinking and flirting until, one day, Spencer came home from a show to discover that all of Ethan’s things were gone. Despite calling Ethan multiple times, it wasn’t until the following day that Spencer discovered that Ethan had tendered his resignation at BAU in favour of moving to New Orleans.

Heartbroken, Spencer had thrown himself into his dancing and remained resolutely single ever since. Now, no longer completely happy at BAU, Spencer couldn’t help wonder if it was time to give romance another go. But first, he had to deal with Erin Strauss.

As he had expected, Strauss wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about Spencer temporarily moving to Moscow but she could see that it was beneficial to have one BAU’s principals appearing on the hallowed ballet ground of the Russian stage and, of all her dancers, Spencer was the one that she could spare. So, Spencer had been given permission to go to Moscow on the proviso that he was back in time for the Nutcracker season to begin as she was expecting him to play the Prince to JJ’s Sugar Plum Fairy. Spencer had agreed without hesitation, desperate to get some time away from BAU, time to hopefully regain his love for dance.

He hated the fact that rehearsals felt like a slog and the tutu ballets that Strauss was programming simply weren’t a challenge for him, not when he had been performing them shortly after his debut ten years ago. What he needed was a challenge, something new to do that he could sink his teeth into, someone new to work with. Emily might not be someone new but she was far enough removed from the BAU that she would be a breath of fresh air and she may just have some suggestions for Spencer.

~*~

“Reid!”

Spencer jolted out of his thoughts at the sound of his name being called and stood up to greet Emily with a smile on his lips. He watched as she halted a passing waiter and ordered something in flawless Russian before moving to his side and greeting him with a kiss to each cheek.

“You’re looking far too skinny, Reid. You’re not going to drop me in the grand pas, are you?”

“Nice to see you too, old friend. Besides, I’ve always been skinny, Emily; you know that.”

“Less of the old, thank you. And yes, of course I know that, but you look skinnier than usual and you practically bit my hand off to come out here. Are things not going well at the BAU?”

“Are we not expected at the thea..” Spencer tailed off as the waiter reappeared with cups of tea and plates of sweet treats. “Clearly not.”

“Tea first, then the theatre. Tell me everything.”

Spencer took a sip of the strong black tea and then started talking, knowing that Emily would quite happily sit here until he did so. “Things are going … okay at the BAU, I suppose. I’m just feeling restless. You heard about Elle’s injury in Hawaii? Well, she’s confirmed that she won’t be returning to the BAU. Hell, she may never dance again. I was partnering Ashley Seaver but that wasn’t really working and anyway, she’s moved to Miami leaving me with no partner. That wouldn’t be the worst of it but to say that Strauss is treading carefully is an understatement. The only thing I’ve got looming in my future is endless shows of Franz and Colas with maybe the odd outing as the Sugar Plum’s prince to break up the monotony. There are none of the interesting works that Gideon was programming, no working with new and interesting choreographers. I’m just … restless.”

“You’re bored stupid, that’s what you are. Hmm, okay. You leave it with me. Drink your tea, Reid; we need to get to the theatre.”

Spencer swore as he scalded his tongue trying to drink his tea as Emily grabbed her bag, left some money on the table and sailed out of the café. “Emily!”

(~*~)

Three days later, as they took their first curtain call as Solor and Nikiya to rapturous applause, Spencer heard Emily hissing at him.

“Doyle.”

“What?” Spencer was utterly befuddled, although the name rang a bell. “What are you talking about?”

“Ian Doyle.” Emily clarified after they had slipped out from behind the heavy stage curtain and were heading back towards their dressing rooms. “He’s a musician.”

“That’s it, I thought I’d heard the name before. What about him?”

“He’s an ex of mine … well before Dave was on the scene but, anyway, he got back in touch with me a few weeks ago. He’s due to start filming the video for his latest single and he wants a dancer for it; wants to do something completely different. He asked me originally but you know me, I’ve never been one for choreography so I said no, that I’d come up with some suggestions for him. You’d be perfect for it; you’ve always liked choreographing new stuff and this would let you do whatever you wanted. Plus, it couldn’t be further from endless Fille’s and Coppelia’s…”

“It’s awfully tempting but what about Strauss? I may not have a permanent partnership but she still won’t really want to let me go and do something like this; it was bad enough getting her to agree to this.”

“Spencer Reid, do you want to do this video?”

“Yes, I think so. Yes, yes I do.”

“Good, then that’s all you need to do. You just leave Erin Strauss to Dave and I.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure quite a few of you are aware it but Spencer's video is based upon the video for Hozier's song [Take Me To Church](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-tW0CkvdDI) featuring the Russian bad boy of ballet, Sergei Polunin

After his return from Moscow, Spencer was very careful to not do anything that might draw Strauss’ ire, desperate for her to agree to him appearing in Ian Doyle’s music video. After Emily had suggested it and Spencer had agreed to the video, Emily had wasted no time in getting things moving. The morning after their first performance, she had phoned Doyle to tell him that she had a dancer interested in the project. Doyle had seemed pleased and was even more so when they sent him some videos of Spencer dancing. Spencer and Doyle had swapped information and had been throwing ideas back and forth almost continuously.

Dancing with Emily, as well as dancing a ballet that he didn’t get to do that often, had reminded Spencer what he loved about classical ballet, that it could be more than just standing and showcasing his female partner. However, it was the prospect of the collaboration with Doyle that had Spencer enthused in a way that he hadn’t been for a long time. One of Spencer’s big problems was that he wasn’t satisfied just dancing the prince roles, unless they were tortured princes and the likelihood of Strauss doing any Macmillan choreography was pretty much zero. He wanted to be challenged, he wanted to be constantly pushing the boundaries of what his body could do. That was what fascinated him and this video could give him the opportunity to do that.

At first glance, Spencer didn’t have the best physique for a male dancer; he was tall, which was good, but he was also incredibly skinny. He had bulked up a bit since his student days but Spencer definitely had a wiry frame that completely belied his strength. He also had the remarkable ability to contort his body into numerous weird and wonderful positions that the works Strauss was currently programming didn’t call for.

Despite the fact that his body was thrumming with excitement and his mind was buzzing with ideas (he had already almost filled one notebook with steps and various enchainements that he could use), he tried to focus on being the very best Cavalier for JJ’s Sugar Plum Fairy that he could be. JJ’s husband, Hotch, was still an excellent dancer but, in his mid-forties, his body was starting to give in to the ravages of a lifetime of dancing and the gruelling Christmas season was tough, even for the young and uninjured. As a result of that, and considerate of the fact that they had three relatively young children at home, both Hotch and JJ had cut back on their Christmas performances albeit Hotch more than JJ. So, while Hotch still partnered his wife in a few select shows, in others he took on the less strenuous role of Drosselmeyer and let Spencer partner his wife. Not that it was a hardship partnering JJ. Spencer had had a crush on the slightly older ballerina when he first joined the company but she had made things clear at the beginning and they had simply settled into a close friendship.

As a result of that friendship, Spencer was certain that JJ knew something was up but was simply waiting for Spencer to come to her rather than ask him outright. The thing was, Spencer didn’t like keeping things from JJ but, equally, he didn’t want to say anything about the project that he had in the works until Strauss had given the go-ahead; there was less chance of disappointment that way. He was hopeful that Strauss would see the benefit of him doing this video – that, if it did well, it would raise the profile of the company as well as himself – but there was no telling how she would act where Spencer was concerned.

They had just come off stage after the stage rehearsal for act 2 of The Nutcracker, pulling on layers of clothes and the booties that they wore to keep warm when they weren’t dancing the instant that they were in the wings. The Sugar Plum pas de deux may not be more than ten minutes long but it was intense. For much of the pas itself, Spencer did very little other than make JJ look good. It was when they got to his codas that things were completely different. In the first coda, he had an extended section of fouettes and fouette a la seconde that were a true test of his core strength. This was followed by a series of jumps and jetés en manège in the second coda. The steps themselves weren’t excessively difficult given Spencer’s training but they were tricky coming into them virtually cold. Spencer and JJ were just about to walk into the backstage area proper when they found Strauss waiting for them just beyond the wings. Spencer came to an abrupt halt; there could only be one reason for her to be here.

“Director Strauss.”

“Mr Reid, I need to speak to you.”

Reid felt JJ’s hand on his arm and glanced down to see her looking at him in concern, silently asking if he wanted her to stay. He shook his head and looked straight at the director. “Of course, Director. Here or in your office?”

“My office, please.”

(~*~)

Having pulled on a baggy hoodie to give him one extra layer of warmth, Spencer trailed Strauss up to her office, uncomfortably aware of the curious looks that he was receiving from both artists and administrative members of the company. This was it; she was going to give him her decision about the video for Ian Doyle. Walking into the starkly decorated space that was Strauss’ office, Spencer was unsurprised when he wasn’t offered a seat as Strauss sat behind her desk and immediately started talking.

“I’ve had a request to release you to do a music video. For an Ian Doyle?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I have to say that I wasn’t particularly inclined to let you go; you’re part of this company and I hardly want my dancers running off here, there and everywhere during the season. If you want to pursue alternative projects and guest appearances, then that is what mid-season and end of season breaks are for. However, you seem to have several very influential people in your corner. Both Ms Prentiss, David Rossi and Mr Doyle himself have been in contact.”

Spencer desperately wanted an answer, wanted to press her for an answer but he bit his lip.

“Mr Doyle, in particular, is adamant that he won’t do this project with another dancer and David pointed out that this could be very good promotion for the company. So, I will let you do it. However, I am not releasing you from company time to do it. If you want to do it, then you will do it in your own time; our mid-season break is in three weeks, I suggest that you set things up with Mr Doyle then.” Strauss looked up at Spencer and arched any eyebrow, “well? What are you waiting for?”

“Nothing.” Spencer struggled to contain the wide smile that wanted to break out across his face, “thank you, Director Strauss.”

“I’m doing this for the company, not for you Mr Reid. Don’t be mistaken.”

Making a swift exit out of Strauss’ office and to somewhere where he couldn’t be overheard, Spencer pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he found Ian Doyle’s name, pressing ‘call’.

“Ian? It’s Spencer. My director has agreed to release me, how does the third week of February work for you?”

~*~

Spencer smiled gratefully at the assistant that hurried over and handed him a fresh bottle of water and his warm-up gear, pausing to pull them on and catch his breath before making his way over to the group of seats and assorted camera equipment where both the director, Matthew Benton, and Ian Doyle himself sat, discussing the footage that they’d just shot.

As soon as Spencer had contacted Ian to tell him that Strauss had okayed his participation, things had moved quickly. While just about every single other member of the company was talking excitedly about their upcoming holiday or, in a few exceptions, the guest appearances that they’d be making, Spencer had his head constantly buried in the notebook of combinations that he’d formulated having listened to Ian’s song on almost constant repeat. He and Ian had been talking almost daily, batting ideas back and forth, and Spencer was genuinely looking forward to shooting the video.

That hadn’t changed once he’d got to Boston, where they’d be shooting the video in an abandoned warehouse. They’d spent a relatively gruelling couple of days with Spencer choreographing the routine with the a few backseat suggestions from Emily thanks to the wonders of Skype, before blocking it for the cameras. This was the maybe the tenth time they’d shot it today and, although his muscles were aching, adrenaline meant that Spencer felt as though he could keep going for a bit longer if necessary.

He had the feeling that he didn’t need to though.

Exhilaration running through his veins, and knowing that the last run he’d done had been the best of the lot, Spencer drained half the water in one gulp as he slumped into the chair next to Ian, the man reaching out to clap Spencer on the shoulder.

“Well? What do we think?”

“Take a look for yourself but, as far as we’re concerned, it’s in the can. It looks absolutely incredible, Spencer; this is going to blow everyone away.”

~*~

“SPENCE!”

Spencer looked up somewhat blearily from his coffee to see JJ making a beeline straight for him, Hotch and the rest of their family trailing behind her. JJ’s enthusiastic shout had drawn the attention of several people in the diner and Spencer ducked his head, hoping that they wouldn’t recognise him. The video for Ian Doyle’s song, the video that Spencer had done, had been released two days previously and it felt like his phone had been ringing off the hook with calls and messages ever since. He’d been grateful that he hadn’t been scheduled to dance for the last couple of evenings as he was a little worried about what the stage door could be like; he had only just managed to sneak into the BAU building for class yesterday morning. In an ideal world, he would have remained holed up in his apartment until he had to leave for class on Monday morning but JJ was a hard woman to say no to, especially when she pulled the godfather card, and so he had found himself dragging himself out to their favourite diner. The next time that he looked up, it was to find himself firmly in JJ’s embrace as she squealed excitedly in his ear.

“Spencer Reid, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about this video. Why were you keeping it a secret?”

“Strauss was hardly enthusiastic about me doing it; told me that if I was going to do it then it had to be during the mid-season break so that I wasn’t taking time off from the company.” Spencer broke off as Hotch approached the table, greeting Jack, Henry and Michael who were, as always, highly delighted to see their ‘Uncle Spence’.

“Well, having seen the video, I’m sure that Strauss is rather glad she’s let you do it now. The reception that you’re getting is incredible.”

Spencer looked up, startled, at Hotch’s words. “What are you talking about? I mean, my phone has been ringing a lot more than normal but…”

“Reid, that video has had over two and a half million hits on YouTube. It’s being discussed in newspapers and on music channels all over the country. You’re world famous.”

“Oh god, Strauss isn’t going to be happy with all of this.” This type of reaction was the last thing that Spencer had anticipated to come out of his video. He had known it was good but he really hadn’t expected it to garner this kind of response.

“I wouldn’t say that; I’ve spoken to a couple of staffers at BAU and apparently sales are soaring through the roof and the switchboard is ringing off the hook with people phoning about you. Now, let’s order; it looks as though those teenagers in the corner are plucking up the courage to ask for autographs and I want to eat at some point today.”

“You really think so?” Spencer cast a look in the direction that Hotch had indicated, seeing a quartet of teenage girls who were alternately looking at their phones and casting not so subtle looks in their direction before giggling madly.

“You’d better buckle up kid, you’re in for a wild ride.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

Hotch hadn’t been lying.

Spencer felt as though he had been in a whirlwind for the past few months. He had known that the video was good when he had seen the finished thing, had been justifiably proud of the work that he had put into it but he really hadn’t expected the media furore that had ensued. Offers and requests for him had come flooding in from all over and, however unhappy Strauss had been about it all, she couldn’t complain about the amount of exposure that the BAU had received.

Spencer had been asked to appear as a guest on talk shows all over the country alongside Ian, both of them being interviewed and then giving a performance of the song. They had done Good Morning America, The Ellen Show, Jimmy Kimmel and The Late Show. They had even appeared on The Graham Norton Show in London, which had given Spencer the opportunity to catch up with some of his former classmates from the Royal Ballet School who were now part of the Royal Ballet Company. It was here that Spencer received his first offer from a company other than the BAU.

They had met at a coffee shop in the piazza at Covent Garden, happily whiling away the hours exchanging news and gossip, discussing rep and generally enjoying the opportunity to catch up. The last person that Spencer expected to join them was Tsia Moseley, the Director of the Royal Ballet. He was even more gobsmacked when she offered him the opportunity to guest with the company, partnering Kate Joyner in several performances of MacMillan’s _Prince of Pagodas_ which the company was reviving for the first time in a decade. If all went well, Moseley wanted to offer Spencer a position as a permanent Guest Artist with the company. Even better, she was willing to deal with Strauss. Spencer barely hesitated before accepting the offer and he went back to the States feeling far more positive than he had done before he had guested with Emily in Russia.

Unfortunately, that positivity didn’t last for too long once he returned to the BAU.

For a while, things seemed to be going well. As a result of his video with Doyle, audiences were clamouring to see Spencer perform with the BAU. All of the performances where he was scheduled to dance sold out – if they hadn’t already – and he found himself added to the casts of several shows so that production could keep up with demand. It was the most that he had danced since Gideon had left and he loved it. What he didn’t love was the attitude that he was getting from his director. Strauss had made it clear that she didn’t like Spencer right from the beginning – not that she seemed to like anyone – but now, it seemed as though she hated him even more than ever. The atmosphere became so tense and frosty that, by the time they got to rehearsals for Spencer’s last ballet of the season, he could have cried in relief.

Balanchine’s _Jewels_ wasn’t necessarily the emotional and technical challenge that Spencer craved but it was still a delightful piece to perform, not least because Emily was guesting with the company and would be partnering Spencer. The two of them would be dancing _Diamonds_ , the third of the three one-act ballets and Spencer’s favourite. Some of the younger artists would dance _Emeralds_ while Ashley Seaver was back to guest in _Rubies,_ dancing alongside Hotch and JJ in the pas de trois. Of course, Emily being Emily and knowing Spencer far too well for comfort, it simply took one look to tell her that something was wrong.

“You and me. Drinks tonight. You’re going to tell Auntie Emily just what’s going on. Capiche?”

“You can’t say that, Em; you’re not part of the Italian mafia.”

“You try telling my husband that. Now, let’s give this a go. You drop me and I’ll haunt you forever.”

“Yes, Emily.”

(~*~)

Several hours later, after rehearsals had finished for the day, Spencer found himself in a dive bar watching Emily about to eat a burger that looked as though it was practically the size of her head. This was just one of the many things that Spencer loved about Emily Prentiss; she wasn’t afraid to eat. Oh, things were far better than they used to be in that dancers recognised that they had to eat in order to cope with the demands of daily life as opposed to subsisting on coffee and cigarettes but still, Spencer had partnered more than a few ballerinas over the years whose idea of a balanced diet seemed to be a stick of celery and a banana. Ballerinas like Emily and JJ were a breath of fresh air. He’d just about finished his beer when Emily fixed him with a firm look.

“Right then, tell Auntie Emily everything.”

And that was precisely what Spencer did. He recapped the reaction to Doyle’s video, even though Emily had known most of it already, Tia Moseley’s offer from the Royal Ballet and how unbearable Strauss was being. Emily listened carefully, nodding at times and pulling a variety of faces as she heard of Strauss’ behaviour. When Spencer had finally finished, Emily knocked back the rest of her beer and started speaking.

“Okay, the way I see it, you have a pretty big decision to make, namely do you want to stay with the BAU? I know Erin Strauss, Spencer, and it isn’t going to get any better. If anything, she’s just going to get worse. So, you need to think long and hard if you want to stay. Companies across the world would just at the chance to get you on their books and Balletto di Rossi would be at the front of the queue. Now, in the short time, I have another proposal for you.”

“Does Dave know?”

“Very funny. Now, you’ll be done with the Royal by mid-June, right?”

“Yes, then I’m guesting with English National Ballet in Spain for a few weeks but I’m free from the middle of July.”

“Look at you, dancing with rival companies! Okay, so if you’re free in July, how do you fancy dancing with me at Vail Dance Festival? We could do the grand pas of Solor and Nikiya again as well as some bits from _Spartacus_ , anything we like. There’s also someone there that I want you to see dance.”

“And who’s that?”

“Derek Morgan. He’s a principal with Chicago Dance Company and is an old friend of Dave’s. He’s had classical and contemporary training and rumour has it that he’s looking for a new project, a new challenge to work on. Have a think about it and let me know, check Morgan out on the ‘net. But, even if you don’t want to dance with him, please dance with me at Vail?”

“I promise, Emily. Whatever decision I make about Derek Morgan, I will dance with you at Vail.”

(~*~)

That night, once he’d said goodbye to Emily and returned home, Spencer did precisely what Emily had suggested; he turned on his laptop, pulled up Chrome and typed Derek Morgan CDC into Google. The first things that came up on the search results were articles in gossip magazines linking Morgan to Jordan Todd and Tamara Barnes, both dancers at CDC as well and not too friendly from what the headlines implied. Rolling his eyes, Spencer turned his attention to YouTube, clicking on the first video that he found.

It was four hours later and 4am when Spencer managed to emerge from the rabbit hole that was YouTube. He had class in six hours but from the way that his mind was whirring, he knew that he wasn’t going to be getting much – if any – sleep. Certainly not while he was consumed with the thoughts of one Derek Morgan as he currently was.

Spencer couldn’t believe that he’d never come across the man before. As a dancer, the man was incredible and Spencer had found himself captivated, clicking upon video after video. He was also completely different to Spencer, both stylistically and physically. Morgan looked to be twice the size of Reid and incredibly muscular, something that clearly came into play with the choreography that he did. Most of it was contemporary but Morgan’s classical training clearly shone through. The other thing that Spencer noticed as he promised himself one more video before at least attempting to sleep was that Derek Morgan was extremely handsome. So much so that Spencer felt the first stirrings of lust since he had split with Ethan. One thing was for sure; it would be no hardship to have to work with Derek Morgan.

~*~

By the time that he had finished his first full week at Vail, Spencer had come to a major realisation; that he was never going to be completely happy at the BAU if the situation remained as it was. His time in London and then Spain with two of the most prestigious British ballet companies had shown him the breadth of style that a traditional ballet company could do and, most importantly, what a difference it made to a company when the dancers both liked and respected their director. It couldn’t be more different to the BAU and Erin Strauss.

Here, at Vail, it was something else entirely. Spencer had taught several masterclasses, all of which he had enjoyed teaching far more than he had ever thought possible, and he had been thrilled to see the wealth of talent that would be coming up through the ranks of American ballet in the next few years. He had also been able to socialise and network with other dancers and, more importantly for him, choreographers. Spencer had already had several interesting conversations with a number of choreographers – both established and up and coming – all of whom had seen his video and were interested in working with him. All in all, it had been a very interesting trip and he and Emily hadn’t even danced yet!

He also hadn’t managed to meet Derek Morgan yet but he was hoping that that would change this evening when the Chicago Dance Company performed. He’d caught the tail-end of a masterclass that the other dancer had given a few days ago and had been impressed by what he had seen. Morgan had a similar teaching style to Spencer and he was clearly respected by the students, getting good results from them. Now, Spencer was beyond curious to see the man dance live.

By the time the show was finished, Spencer wasn’t disappointed and he followed eagerly after Emily as she led him backstage. He had spent the entire time on the edge of his seat and, as good as the rest of the CDC dancers had been, Spencer hadn’t been able to take his eyes off Derek Morgan. To say the man was charismatic was an understatement. When the man was on-stage he commanded it completely and utterly, despite being one of the most sympathetic partners Spencer had ever seen – on a par with Hotch and David Rossi. Spencer was so lost in his thoughts, that he ran into Emily’s back, not realising that she’d come to a standstill.

“Spencer, I’d like you to meet Derek Morgan, an old friend of Dave and I. Morgan, this is Spencer Reid.”

Emily stepped aside and then Spencer was presented with Derek Morgan in all his glory, complete with a smile that had Spencer going weak at the knees as he reached out to shake hands.

“Spencer Reid, eh? It’s good to meet you, pretty boy!”

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy belated birthday to my darling BigLeoSis ♥

_Hey pretty boy, how are you doing?_

A wide grin spread over Spencer’s face as he saw the message from Derek waiting for him on his phone as he got out of the studio. He hadn’t even been back from Vail for a week, but he and Derek had been in daily contact, a veritable stream of messages passing between them. Then again, the two of them had been virtually inseparable for the second weekend of the festival.

_***FLASHBACK***_

Spencer snorted as Derek pulled a face, shaking his head as the other man described the awkwardness that had sprung up between himself, Tamara Barnes and Jordan Todd when the two ballerinas had decided that they were somehow rivals for his affections.

“I mean, they’re both beautiful women and I can appreciate that but they’re barking up the wrong tree. Ladies just aren’t my thing.”

Spencer felt his brain shut down and then reboot itself. Had he just heard that right? Had Derek Morgan actually just said that ladies weren’t his thing, all but admitting that he was gay? He had to be gaping like a particularly unattractive fish, but he couldn’t quite believe it. before he could say anything and redeem himself from looking like a complete moron, a hand landed on his shoulder and he looked up into the face of a lightly smirking Emily.

“Sorry to interrupt boys, but I’m afraid that I need to steal my partner away from you, Derek. That is, if you haven’t killed him?”

“You’re too cruel, Mrs Rossi. And why would I want to kill him?” Derek teased. “I’ll let you have him on the condition that he agrees to go out for dinner with me tonight. What do you say, pretty boy?”

Spencer nodded, swallowing heavily. “I’d love to.”

“It’s a date then.”

Of course, those four words ensured that Spencer was a complete and utter mess for the entire rehearsal with Emily. Their second performance was two days away yet, Spencer found that he was almost incapable of remembering choreography that he had been doing for years. Not only that but he nearly smacked Emily in the face twice and fumbled lifts a further twice. While she found it amusing at first, Emily was clearly losing her patience.

“Spencer, I love you but what are you playing at? Why are you this bad?”

“I’m sorry, I’m just distracted.”

“I’d gathered that, genius. By what?”

“Morgan. He said that dinner tonight is a date and now I can’t stop my brain from wondering if he didn’t mean anything by it or if it’s an actual date.”

“Seriously? That’s why you’ve nearly dropped me? I know it’s been a while since Ethan and that Morgan’s smoking but even so… Look, don’t overthink things, Spence. Just go and enjoy yourself tonight, see where things go. Now, let’s run it again and if you drop me or hit me in the face, they’ll never find your body.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

(~*~)

It was during their third dinner together in as many days that the subject of a collaboration between the two finally came up in conversation.

“So, has Emily spoken to you about the possibility of a collaboration between the two of us?”

Spencer took a sip of his drink, choosing his words carefully. “Not as such. She said that you were looking for a new project, a new challenge.”

“Exactly and I think you’re the perfect person to attempt it with. I saw your video for Ian Doyle. I mean, I don’t think there was a single person on the planet who didn’t see it, but the choreography was fucking amazing. Emily said that it was all yours.”

Spencer blushed at the compliment. “Em exaggerates. She was there on Skype while I was working it all out.”

“I know Emily well enough that she was telling the truth when she said her involvement was limited to getting you and Doyle in touch with each other and then doing a bit of backseat driving. She also said that you’re getting a bit bored over at the BAU. So, would you be up for it?”

“Up for what precisely?”

“Emily really hasn’t told you anything has she? Dave’s putting together some big gala in New York for February time, dancers from all over the world. There’s even a rumour that he might be dancing. Anyway, he’s said that there’s a spot for me if I want it.”

“And what? You’re thinking of a duet? With me?” Spencer couldn’t help the surprise that coloured his voice.

“Why not, pretty boy? That piece you did for Ian Doyle was incredible and Emily showed me some other pieces of yours from the past, as well as saying you were feeling stagnated where you are. I’ve watched you perform with Emily here, seen you teach the masterclasses, and I think we’d be a good match. Look, it’s entirely up to you, but I wanted to put the offer on the table. You don’t have to decide this minute.”

Spencer thought about it. He wasn’t going to lie, he was tempted. Working with Derek would be something completely different and it was oh so attractive. However, he was reluctant to say yes without having spent some time in the studio together first. He voiced his concerns to Derek and was relieved that the other man agreed, not shooting him down in flames immediately.

“That’s cool, man. Tell you what, why don’t you give me your phone and we can exchange numbers, maybe see if we can fix some studio time before the start of the new season?”

Spencer had done as requested and that had been the last time that he had seen Derek until the end of the festival and even that had only been in passing, the two of them being so busy.

_***END FLASHBACK***_

Pressing the reply button, Spencer started typing.

_Just got out of the studio – daily class. How are things with you?_

It seemed as though Derek had been waiting for Spencer to reply as he phoned seemingly as soon as Spencer had sent the message.

“Pretty boy! Look at you being all well-behaved in the off-season and doing daily class.”

Spencer chuckled as he ducked into his favourite coffee shop and the barista – who knew his order well by now – started making his coffee without him saying a word. “As if you haven’t been in the studio this morning as well.”

“Ah, you got me. Now, there was a reason I was calling. You have any plans this weekend other than class?”

“Not really. Why?”

“I’ve managed to get some studio time booked and I was wondering if you fancied flying out and we could try a few things out, see if we can work together. What do you think?”

Spencer wasn’t usually one to make impulse decisions but his time at the Royal Ballet and ENB, not to mention Vail, had opened his eyes to the fact that he really wasn’t happy at the BAU anymore and he no longer really cared about keeping Strauss happy. She had made it perfectly clear that she didn’t like Spencer and only tolerated him for what he could bring to the company. With that in mind, he found the words that left his mouth rather surprising.

“I’m just on my way home. I’ll have a look at flights and give you a ring later this evening.”

“Good to hear, man. I’ll talk to you later.”

~*~

Spencer couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive as he walked into the studio for his first rehearsal with Derek. There was always a bit of nerves involved when you were working with someone for the first time. You could watch someone perform a hundred times and it wouldn’t be quite like working with them. This was completely different to working with Emily and even to working with Ian Doyle. He didn’t know how Derek worked, what he envisaged for them, anything. It was going to be an interesting couple of days to say the least.

He needn’t have worried. They had warmed up and then Derek had a few pieces of music that he had in mind that they listened to and things had just flowed from there. There were a few disagreements from time to time but, for the most part, it was the most organic start to a partnership that Spencer had ever experienced. So much so that, by the end of the weekend, Spencer knew that they had something that was worth working for, worth developing. Judging by the expression on his face, Derek knew it as well.

“So, pretty boy, what do you think? Shall we say yes to Dave?”

“It’s not going to be easy; you here in Chicago and me in Washington…”

“No, but it’s going to be worth it. What do you say?” The look of hope on Derek’s face was almost akin to a little boy peering through the window of a candy store.

“Make the call. Tell Dave we’ll do it.”

As Derek let out an exultant yell and wrapped Spencer into a bear hug, Spencer couldn’t help but wonder if the logical distance between them was going to be the biggest hurdle he had to deal with.

~*~

By the time that the gala arrived during the February mid-season break, Spencer was convinced of two things. Firstly, David Rossi had to possess magical powers of some sort in able to not only assemble to cast of ballet superstars that he had, but also to ensure that the gala fell during said dancers mid-season break and that every dancer got to do what they wanted. For Spencer, he was highly delighted that he got to share the bill with those nearest and dearest to him as well as a few former partners. JJ and Hotch would be performing, as would Ashley Seaver and the Rossi’s themselves. Dave had even managed to do it without pissing Erin Strauss off too much. Then again, given how much she hated Spencer after he had agreed to accept the title of permanent Guest Artist with the Royal Ballet in London.

The second thing that he was certain of was that he was head over heels for one Derek Morgan. After things had gone well after Vail and they had agreed to do the gala, the two of them had been racking up the airmiles as they flew between Chicago and Washington choreographing and rehearsing together. Beyond that, it had been a constant stream of messages, WhatsApp, FaceTime and Skype, not all of the conversations being concerned with just dancing. The closer that the two men got, the more that Spencer realised he wanted more than friendship from Derek Morgan. The problem was, he didn’t want to do anything before the gala and potentially ruin their performance or equally make a move after the gala and ruin the friendship that they developed. It was a difficult thing.

Regardless of what decision he made, he had to get through the gala first.

Dave had been very canny in his advertising. All of the promotional material had been carefully assembled to ensure that the event sold out but, equally, holding back on certain bits of information so that the audience would have a few surprises. As such, when they bought their tickets, the attendees knew that they would be seeing Derek perform a solo item, Ashley Seaver as a soloist, JJ and Hotch dancing together and Spencer and Emily continuing their critically-acclaimed partnership. However, they didn’t know that they would be seeing Dave and Emily dance together, not to mention Derek and Spencer’s collaboration receive it’s first public outing. In the only artistic decision that Spencer had questioned, Dave had put their duet at the end of the programme rather than one of the showier and more recognisable pas de deux’s, but Rossi had sworn that he knew what he was doing, and Spencer just had to trust him.

Watching the first half on the monitor in the dressing room as he stretched, Spencer had to admit that Dave had been right. Ashley had opened with a virtuosic solo from The Firebird which had gone down well with the audiences as had the following bits of Balanchine and Alexei Ratmansky. The solo that Derek was performing – Flux by Russell Maliphant – was unknown but Derek was well-loved and so it was well-received nonetheless and then the first half had closed with Dave and Emily taking to the stage with the pas de deux from Don Quixote. A series of whispers had run through the auditorium; Dave hadn’t been seen on stage in the US for a number of years and Don Q had a couple of tricky codas with lots of grand allegro for the man. It was obvious that Dave was coming to the end – if not reached it already – of his career as a leading man; his elevation wasn’t what it was when he’d been younger, and a couple of turn sequences were slightly shakily executed but there was no denying the chemistry between himself and Emily and he was still a charismatic presence on-stage.

And then it was Spencer’s turn. JJ and Hotch had opened the second half with the heart-breaking pas de deux between Giselle and Albrecht, gaining rapturous applause and the odd cry of ‘brava’ from the audience before it had been the turn of Emily and Spencer. They had chosen to do the flashy, virtuosic pas de deux from Le Corsaire, something that they would be reprising with Balletto di Rossi in a couple of months in Rome. After a lacklustre winter season of Sugar Plum Princes, Spencer had thrown himself into preparation with gusto and he felt exhilaration the minute that he stepped onto the stage. Stepping off the stage to sluice away the sweat and grab a mouthful of water, Spencer knew that it was good and, exchanging a glance with Emily, she felt the same. Even so, as they struck their final poses, chests heaving and smiling widely, they weren’t expecting a standing ovation.

One thing was for certain, it set the bar high for Spencer’s second duet with Derek, the finale of the whole gala.

Once he’d changed costumes and made his way back to the wings, Spencer was overcome with the biggest attack of nerves that he had had in years. He had no doubts about his abilities or Derek’s and he knew that their choreography was good, great even. However, what he wasn’t sure about was the audience reaction. More important than that, how were the critics in the audience going to react. He jumped slightly as Derek’s hand landed heavily on his shoulder, just as Tsia Moseley and Clyde Easter took their bows after the Black Swan pas de deux.

“You ready for this, pretty boy?”

“Not really but let’s do it.”

Spencer had known that this collaboration was good, but he hadn’t been prepared for how good this particular performance was going to be. When you were on stage, adrenaline would kick in and allowed you to take your performance to the next level, but this was ten times better than anything they had done in rehearsal. A quick glance at Derek showed that he knew it as well. The routine that they had come up with was a combination of classical and contemporary, even including some moves from the martial arts training that Derek had undertaken. There were also a number of lifts that, if they worked, would be stunning.

They worked. As the last bars of Max Richter’s Last Days swelled to the final climax, Spencer took off and Derek caught him in what could best be described as a vertical swan dive. The final chords of the music were inaudible over the shouts of ‘brava’ and the thunderous applause from the audience. If Spencer had thought that they were on their feet quickly after he and Emily had finished Le Corsaire, it was nothing compared to now. He and Derek exchanged bemused glances as they were pushed back out past the curtain for four curtain calls before they applause finally died away and they were allowed to slip into the wings.

And then, just before they went back out onto the stage to take their bows, in full view of their colleagues waiting for the final group bow, Derek took Spencer’s face in his hands and pressed a kiss to his lips, before leading a shell-shocked Spencer back out onto the stage.

**Author's Note:**

> If you would prefer to comment on LJ, you can do so [here](http://vix-spes.livejournal.com/265992.html) or on DW [here](https://vix-spes.dreamwidth.org/257443.html)


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